I have been pondering some filtering like that, can you reuse the filters, do you clean them, do the filters have to be sanitized?

I do not reuse the filters although you could filter a 20 gallon batch through if you brew that much at a time. The filters do not have to be sanitized. They are shipped in a sterile packaging.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antler

Why the pressure release valve? Can't you just open the poppet safety valve on the corny while filling?

I thought about this but figured the beer would get oxidized. Do you purge the whole setup with gas before filtering?

Yes, the poppet will work but the pressure relief valve seems to work better. It lets it all go at once. I do usually purge with CO2 but I have done this without purging. I have never had an oxidation issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by noodle23

Nice and simple design. Can we get a parts list?

The parts are 2 10" filter housings and 2 10" filters. These can both be bought from hombrew stores (midwest, morebeer, eetc...) and from water filter stores (many online options). I use a 3 micron and a 0.5 micron. 0.5 is good to end with. Some people start with a 5 micron but i prefer 3. Other than that, I have a longer gas hose from my second keg in a keezer that I just remove and attach to the gas in of the first keg. There's a couple of beer in connections, some 1/2" barbs, and the plastic tubing to connect.

The system is fairly economical and works great. It makes for super clear beer.

How much beer do you end up leaving behind in the filter housings and cartridges? -Looks like about 1/2 gallon per cartridge.

I know a small microbrewery who uses a plate and frame filter for the initial rough filtration and then uses a 0.5 micron sanitary filter in a 10" housing like this but his beer losses are much less with 7bbl of beer per pass; starting with a 5 gallon keg and the losses in two cartridge filters I'd imagine would result in huge beer losses. (20% of the keg aka 1 gallon?)

You might not notice any oxidation-related off-flavors but you're definitely getting oxidation if you're not purging the system AND you've basically filtered out all yeast so it won't be taken up. -The professional breweries that I know that use a system like this (and they normally only do it for beer on the way to the bottling line tank), run sanitizer through the entire system first; this both sanitizes the filter and line and also purges it of oxygen, then then chase the sanitizer with beer and dump the first bit to the drain and then hook it into the bottling tank, for what this is worth.

I know this is an old post. Dumb question but, I am assuming since you are filtering out everything that you must force carbonate then instead of keg condition?

With a 0.5 micron filter, yes.

But CO2 molecules are CO2 molecules.
"Keg conditioning" can involve 2 processes (yeast slowly reducing early fermentation products and small insoluable particles slowly falling out of solution, clarifying the beer.) -If you've allowed secondary fermentation (also known as "conditioning") to finish the first process has already completed, the second process is simply accelerated by filtering.

The other benefit of "keg conditioning" is that yeast will get rid of any O2 that got introduced during transfer to the keg. If you transfer with good process and flush the keg with CO2 via the "wort out" dip tube, you can achieve similar dissolved O2 levels.

You're simply looking at a different way of accomplishing the same 3 goals; despite philosophical opinions; there's really not a difference in the end results via the 2 different processes.

-The professional breweries that I know that use a system like this (and they normally only do it for beer on the way to the bottling line tank), run sanitizer through the entire system first; this both sanitizes the filter and line and also purges it of oxygen, then then chase the sanitizer with beer and dump the first bit to the drain and then hook it into the bottling tank, for what this is worth.

Adam

I do the same thing plus I chase the sanitizer with some CO2 befor I run the beer and dump around 12 oz.
My next set-up will have square plate, easier to find.